Making Data Center Virtualization Work for Your Business

Virtualization technology is rapidly becoming the foundation of modern data centers. Not long ago, virtualization was all about server consolidation. Virtualization today is enabling businesses with greater agility. Before considering a virtualization project for your data center, it is important to first confirm if your facility can even handle the transition.

With data center virtualization, there is a direct impact is on the expenses and on wasted processing power and leans towards creating a green datacenter. There is no need to create a huge datacenter, just install powerful virtualized servers or running a huge number of servers can make a difference. Virtualization is an ideal tool for data center improvement. But if not designed and built correctly, newly virtualized systems can cost the company time and resources, creating confusion among departments. That is why it is important to take the time during the planning stage to look critically at your IT environment.

When implemented correctly, data center virtualization establishes valuable efficiencies and that can help contain costs. In a virtual IT environment, it helps businesses to increase utilization of their existing hardware by running virtual servers on fewer, highly scalable enterprise-class servers. Use of a virtualized datacenter tackles major space constraint in many organizations. Control costs, increase utilization, more responsive IT green initiatives. While the benefits of virtualization can sound impressive, getting there may present challenges without adequate planning. Many datacenter virtualization solutions ensure competency in hardware requirements, by enabling an organization to utilize lesser hardware to perform the same jobs.

To ensure that datacenter virtualization in your business is a success, ensuring security is critical. As with any implementation, the virtualized environment should follow the same stringent security controls as a physical one.  A good virtualization plan is tied to a good storage plan. Backup is highly essential.  Virtualization is growing because it can provide business continuity capabilities. Any Virtualization solution should provide a flexible architecture and the tools needed to help you manage capacity and include load balancing to ensure performance and fast response times and redundancy.  With datacenter virtualization, it is possible for enterprises to centralize IT management, outsource IT management and reduce the size of IT departments.

Datacenter virtualization empowers the IT department with tools for resource scheduling, data protection, and disaster recovery. It can help enhance your infrastructure performance. Team up with the best service provider with a service desk support who can combine security and reliability to accomplish an enabled enterprise.

Other Links
Managed security services
Network consulting services

Identity Access Management Critical in Today’s Unstable Business Environment

Today’s business environment is highly competitive, complex, and volatile. This has put tremendous pressure on organizations to increase their accessibility to customers, partners, vendors, suppliers, and employees. Hence, enterprises are deploying an ever-increasing number of applications with multiple, often mutually incompatible, proprietary identity systems, or security models, inconsistent management of identities and different auditing mechanisms. However, in their haste to enhance their accessibility they forget to look at the security aspects, which leads to inefficiencies, increased risk of identity theft and unauthorized access, and failure to meet regulatory compliance.

In today's work environment, passwords and password resets are one of the most widely used measures to ensure information security. A recent research showed that on an average each employee accesses around 16 applications and systems. And as part of the security measure, each employee has to remember five or more passwords, which the employee has to change five or more times per year. It results in multiple repositories of identity information, multiple user IDs and multiple passwords. 

However, the fact of the matter is most employees finding it impossible to manage multiple identities. This is proved by the number of password related calls that help desk receives. Moreover, juggling multiple identities lead to chaos and confusion, which is put to good use by the criminals. This calls for a comprehensive and focused approach that would enhance efficiency, achieve compliance, and improve the security of the organizations. That is what identity and access management offers to do.

Identity and access management helps organizations to manage access to scattered information and applications within the organization without compromising security or exposing sensitive information. Hence, identity and access management can be defined as a set of policies, processes, and technologies for the creation, management, and use of digital identities. The objective of identity access management is to provide right access to the right people at the right time. It comprises of four important aspects namely

●        Authentication

It is the process of verifying and proving the claims of an identity for gaining access to an application system or resource.

●        Authorization

It is the determination whether to allow an identity to perform an action or access a system or resource.

●        User Management

It refers to the process of creating, propagating, and maintaining user identity and privileges. An important component of user management is user lifecycle management, which refers to the lifecycle of a digital identity from creation to termination.

●        Enterprise Directory

It is the repository for securely storing and organizing the digital identities and its credentials and attributes.

In today’s unstable business environment, identity access management is important to secure the organization and to protect confidential and personal data and thereby achieve compliance, business growth, operational efficiency, and cost savings.

Other Links

Datacenter virtualization

Service desk

Information Security Solutions for The Digital World

Information being the essential ingredient in the success of  any business, organization today has made technology  an indispensable part of the  business environment.  Storage of information as well as exchange of  data between employees, supplies and customers has become easy with technological involvement. However, the exponential rate of data growth takes the IT professionals through a challenging task of providing efficient data security solutions.

Information security thus is a major concern in an environment where the entire process of storing, distribution, accessing of every single sensitive and confidential data is done digitally. All organizational data ranging from personal details, to client lists, bank details, marketing strategies, sales information, and any other organizational details need to be well protected from both external and internal threats.

Over the years a number of software applications have been developed to provide firewall protection to ward away threats and virus scanners to protect against data damage. However, today's dynamic business environment with involvement of a number of IT outsourcing companies, large amount of digital data transfer and storage requires a competent information security system that would involve the elements of risk analysis and risk management.

The globally networked world has made data and information accessible from any location and any device irrespective of the distance. Further, with the every single detail pertaining to the organization and the global workforce stored on computers, organizations need to have a continuous process of identifying, assessing and managing security risks while responding to the ever changing customer demands, legal and industry requirements. 

Though there are number of service providers in the arena, organizations look forward to partner with service providers who can establish a business aligned information security framework along with an enhanced Return on Security Investment. The wide range of security solutions offered by these service providers include:-

·         Ability to establish a Security Framework for business verticals.

·         Call for lesser investments on new technology

·         Ability to manage intricate multi-vendor and heterogeneous client environments

·         minimizes operation expense with hassle free handling of domain experts

·          increased profitability and efficiency

 Further to cater to the ever increasing demands for accessibility across various horizontal and vertical layers, the leading service providers offer a wide spectrum of services that includes Identity &  Access management, Information security consulting and  Managed Security Service. All these cuts through the diversified information security products, technology and compliance requirement of the organizations at large.

Other Links 
Service Desk 
Managed network services

Network Support Services Empowers the Corporate Network

The globally bound business organizations aim for newer markets and higher revenues. However, globalization with its benefits also offer these organization challenges of maintaining a vastly spread out organization. Nevertheless, technology has brought in a number of innovations that has facilitated the widely located offices of these enterprises to remain connected through the corporate network.

Corporate network is a  network service which as per Wikipedia definition is a service hosted on a computer network on a defined service protocol to provide functionality for end users of the network.  The client computers or end-users share the resources with the help of servers.  Further  technological  advancement led to increased demands for a stronger IT infrastructure  with more focus on the networked environment. Maintaining network security was another  challenging factor for the new age organizations. However, to ensure secure data transfers, the  network services were configured as local networks and wide area networks with a valid internet protocol address for every user accounts.

The aggressively competitive business environment led to network  services becoming the backbone of the global organization. However, the continuous increase in  IT infrastructure and applications  has  made the  network a complex environment. Business houses and corporate sector in need for an end-to-end   networked systems looked towards  organization which would provide them with seamless and highly managed network services.  Further, good support services are also essential in managing the networked environment. Outsourcing the management and network support services to experts will facilitate the global enterprises to focus on core issues.

The leading service providers with years of experience and team of experts   help the global  organizations with optimum and cost-effective network services. The  entire suite of  managed  services include conceptualization, implementation and delivery of LAN and WAN management, unified communication systems, management of the network operations center and IT security consulting for the networked environment.

However, for a network support service to be truly effective , requires the services to be open to the clientele 24/7. The expert teams  from the leading service provider are available at all times to provide solutions to problems faced in network system integration , implementation services, VoIP, WLAN management or network virtualization. A good network support service provider is one that ensures  integrated performance and end-to-end visibility across  the infrastructure landscape with   faster and timely communications through an online service desk and this forms an important part of customer relationships.

Other Links

Identity and access management

Service desk

Managed Security Services: Simplifying security operations for global organizations

Today's global organizations are so dependent on technology for their communication, that the IT infrastructure and computer networks form the backbone of its growth. However, with offices and customers spread across geographically distant locations, security of critical data and information becomes a cause of concern while managing such vast networks turns into a herculean task. To overcome such hurdles in the path of growth, organizations thus tend to outsource these functions to experts in the field of network security and management.

With the rise in demands for IT outsourcing and security enterprise and asset management, number of IT organizations have forayed into providing network security. However, the leaders in the field of managed security services provide their clientele significant cost reduction and business benefits through the use of advanced management tools and remote delivery models.

The managed security services offered by the IT giants include cutting edge networking solutions which have been developed through the design-implement-consult-engineering model for optimizing and managing the network, both local area and wide area, besides the unified communications IPT and VoIP. In today's business scenario, when global expansions and technological innovations are the focal point to beat the competition, there is little room for information security of enterprises. The managed security service partners takes of this issue for the global enterprises.

The security services include information security monitoring both on-site and remote. The 24/7 security monitoring services alerts the organization of any security threats that are prevalent in and around the infrastructure environment. Further the security devices installed in the locations includes firewalls, network and host IDS/IPs, VPN, proxy as well as multifactor access controls. The managed end-point security services takes care of virus and malware monitoring and prevention of its outbreak in the network environment. With regular signature updates and compliance management, it uses various tools to provide organizations with fundamental control of security status.

Anti phishing being one of the major threats faced by the modern global organizations, these leading network giants under their managed security services offer anti-phishing services which provides the clients with comprehensive solutions to mitigate the impact of phishing incidents. By monitoring proactive domains and phishing URLs, reporting and forensic analysis, ensures reduction in brand damage and maintains customers trust in the networked channels. The anti-malware services enables website administrators of the organizations a constant vigilance of security breach. The web application malware monitoring along with malicious code sandbox analysis and forensic and malware reporting helps organizations to know beforehand and be prepared before the websites are used for malware attacks.

Other Links

Service Desk 

Green datacenter

Streamlining Asset Management in a Dynamic Business Environment

In a fiercely competitive business environment, organizations tend to make use of technological innovations to upgrade existing infrastructure or add new one. As the assets of the enterprises increase, these should be backed by productivity, cost effectiveness and good business value. Proper management if the IT assets become vital for the organizations for ensuring such business accomplishments. The progressive growth of the organization's infrastructure further demands that these should be managed effectively for proper execution of business strategies.

With business houses largely dependent on the IT, a combination infrastructure a combination between the hardware and software of various assets is necessary to ensure achievement of goals. Further the changing dynamics demands the use of advanced process to achieve higher business prospects. Implementing stable asset management strategy will not only help organizations enjoy benefits such as reduced cost, business alignment and quality service but also foster a compatible and cohesive environment.  . However, with security risks looming large over the technological upgrades organizations should consider proactive steps and robust solutions to counter attack these.

IT Asset management is a tool for managing the assets, contracts and the associated costs through out the lifecycle of the asset. However, besides the registry of physical assets, it includes documentation, service level agreements, catalogs and warranties as part of the asset management procedures. It also facilitates relationship building of these assets with customers, departments, and external agencies thus creating constant returns with reduced risks. As technological advancements came over, the cloud computing model of asset management proved to be advantageous for the new age business houses.

The cloud computing based asset management model provides organizations with a cost efficient solutions, asset discovery and maintenance of hardware and software libraries. Further, the cloud based model also facilitates software license management, contract management, supplier & vendor management, management of procurements, re-deployment and disposal. Being a web based the organizations are benefitted by the on-demand services which include real-time reports for critical decision making. 

Asset management being a challenge for the new age organization, the cloud based model streamlines and automates the asset management process. Leveraging on the efficient help desk facilities users can find solutions create requests and review reports and status. The asset management services offered  by the industry leaders include all activities aimed towards management and tracking of  assets and includes physical and logical discovery of assets, interfacing and complimenting ITSM processes and functions, interfacing with enterprise asset management system and processes, compliance to regulations and assessment of enterprise security. 

Today’s green datacenter environment of most organizations deploy efficient  identity and access management solutions that provides better end-user experience, empowers business through enhanced efficiency in asset management, provides user privacy security and agility in application  development with high ROI.

Other Links 

Service desk

Managed print services

Service Desk is the Nerve Center for Business IT

The IT service desk is an important limb of your business. A centralized and efficient service desk operation helps in saving costs and provides effective control with an integrated and comprehensive business operation. Ideally the IT service desk furnishes a rich and updated knowledgebase of issues that are faced commonly by the users while trying to find resolutions, creating requests, reporting incidents or reviewing the status of the requests that have already been submitted. This helps your business in identifying the relevant issue and applying the right solutions without wasting time.

The IT service desk is a supportive platform that assists in logging, tracking, resolving, and reporting of help desk incidents and service requests. It helps your business to maintain the quality of service provided to your customers by restoring the operations quickly without any severe damaging consequences. It provides notable service request management capabilities from the acceptance of a service request to prioritization, execution and a suitable conclusion.

The service desk operations also include dedicated services such as accelerated responses to the executive users. With a flawless IT service desk you can deliver awesome performances and gain the confidence of your customers. It helps in leveraging your business prospects and provides an impetus to achieve higher goals. Many businesses are inadequate in enforcing an efficient desktop management environment thereby increasing the costs and risks and rendering poor results.

You need to deploy managed desktop services that help in making your desktop environment cohesive, compact and secure. The managed desktop services provide a globally integrated service desk and include services like client application management, client support and asset management. The services are customized to suit the requirements of your business, and therefore yield productive results. An emphatic system integration between the tools, assets, resources and personnel is initiated which helps in developing a robust, flexible and optimized IT environment.

Nowadays you cannot rely on technologies that cannot provide you with precise and strategic solutions. There is no time to waste and you need tools that can deliver powerful and effective impacts. The managed desktop services help your business overcome all the challenges and aid in establishing a highly proficient and reliable IT environment without compromising on quality.  It strengthens the nerve center of your business by deploying best practices for a highly responsive and responsible service request management process. A prolific service desk operation rewards your business with promising returns and endless opportunities.

Other Links

Managed security services

Datacenter virtualization

Managed Hosting Services for Small and Large Scale Business

The online trade and commerce portals and businesses today are experiencing major pressure from various ends. It is essential for them have a regular standard suite to fulfill and cater to the competition as well as satisfy their clients and customers and their ever changing demands. This does not appear like providing an easy solution only. In fact, for this it is essential to loosen up on the difficulties and arrive at a smooth ride ahead. There are several business owners that have realized today the significance of having a managed hosting server. The servers available in similar web host plan assure that excess pressure from the IT corner is reduced and a greater importance is given to the important business aspects.
 
Whether it is the server, database, software or any other type of component or application, the managed hosting services assures that it offers a huge amount of operation efficiency to every user and to the companies that are relying on it completely.

Eminent service providers of cloud computing services today offer managed hosting servers that offers a network capacity that are approximately ten times more than that of a huge corporate city building. This capacity comes along with high individual environmental controls as well as advanced quality 24 x 7 assistance. Furthermore, it provides savings up to 30 per cent on operation and long-term capital expenses. Other components are listed below:-

 
Data Centre Hosting Facility 
* Raised Floor Space
* Dual Power Feed
* VESDA fire detection service
* Loading Bay area for asset lift and shift
* 42 U standard Racks/Cage
* Physical Access Security through swipe cards
* Generator and UPS capacity
* Fire suppression using fog or FM200 gas
* Structured Cabling – Cat 6 & Fibre (Sizing/Provisioning/Management)

 
Professional services 
* Onsite Hands & Feet support
* Tape backup Media handling services
* Network/security support
* Reporting
* Equipment Handling & Management

 
Optional services 
Aperture tool for Rack floor planning and ongoing maintenance
Managed hosting services are an appropriate option for small scale businesses that does not intend to spend a huge amount on web hosting services. At the same time, the large scale business enterprises that require a comprehensive integration of the requirements of the IT field can also be managed by such hosting services. Service providers of managed hosting servers also specialize in identity and access management solutions.

Other Links

service desk 

green datacenter